The effect of preparation procedure on water sorption in membranes based on bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

For the membranes based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), which is a new biopolymer from the class of polyoxyalkanoates, the effect of the preparation procedure on sorption-diffusion parameters was studied. As evidenced by the methods of FT-IR spectroscopy and vacuum one may noticeably change the mechanism of diffusion transfer of water in polymer by gravimetry, varying the conditions of preparation of the polymer films (application of solvents with different polarities and variations in the casting procedure). The specific features of the sorption and diffusion characteristics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) are related to the structural organization and a certain orientation of crystallites.